


Encounters

by interestingword



Series: Scavenger Lore [1]
Category: Flight Rising
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-19 15:56:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13707750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/interestingword/pseuds/interestingword
Summary: A series of run-ins with a god.





	Encounters

**Author's Note:**

> this has been kicking around my drafts for the last three months so i'm finally punting it out into the world

W̸͏H͢͞O ̵AR̷͡E͡ ͏YOU͢͟

"...Pardon?"

W҉H͘͘͞O͟ ̶A̢R̴E̴͟͝ ͘Y̕͝O̶͡U͏̸

"If you must ask, I am not your concern." He stopped, wary, and scanned the horizon for the speaker. He could see half-hidden rocks, distant movement, the dip of the sun beneath the sky, but nothing close. The desert sands were as empty as they were stereotyped to be. Uncertain of where to face, the guardian continued his path, albeit with caution in his claws. "And you?" 

A pause. Or a silence? Had he hallucinated the whole thing? Confused thoughts crossed his mind as the plain above turned from rose, to crimson, to a settling dark. Stars burned like pinprick embers through the struggling remains of sunbeams. 

Two weeks and a half dozen caravans passed without a reply. Kraatos decided it was of little importance. 

\-----  
WH̷̢E҉̡RE̷ A̸̧R̨͡E̡̛ ͘Y͞O҉U

Menhit stood stock still, and scrutinized every inch of the scenery within her vision. To the west, plants. To the north, plants. To the east, her quarry, feeding mildly on her comrade. 

WH͡ER͝͞͠E ͢A̶̶͡R̛E̴̢ ҉Y͝O̡͝͏U͢

There it was again. A distraction. A mind trick. She wanted to huff, but contented herself to a harsher-than-usual exhalation, one that fell in line with the rippling of the greenery around her. Nonetheless her quarry started, ears pricked, fur ruffling, and looking around anxiously. Minutes passed until it settled again. The neck, it decided, was next to go. Four eyes stared pleadingly beneath it, and in response, Menhit tipped her crest. _no._ A strike now could prove fatal to them both. 

They kept staring until a meaty fist pulled them out entirely. 

\-----  
W̨HA̴̕͢T̴̡͏ A̧R̨͢E ̕Y̡OU̧

wasnoisewhatwas

W͢HAT̷̛ ͟A̛͠R̢E ̷Y͢͏O̷U͝͝

voicenoisenotimportant

needfastspeedhighhighturnflyflyflyturnspin spinspinspinsp iralspiralmespiraltwisttwistboltflashbrightturnburnburning smokedryfastburneedrunnee dfastvoicewherenotsurenotneedneedfastneedhighneedFAST

\-----

W̴̸H̷Y̛

"Wish I could tell ya," Kelvin answered, to no one in particular. The dragons across the bar shot him an odd look, but he ignored them and kept talking to the empty seat beside him. "Gotta be more specific, for starters. Why...what? Why live? Why hunt? Why read scrolls? Why not go outside and put your life back together instead of sulking inside just because the last group of friends you had went out one day and...let's leave that one out." He finished his drink. Another one was set beside it, and it took a moment to register that the claws weren't as dirty as the bartender's.

"Drink this. We need to talk."

"Who're you?"

"A friend. My name's Helix."

"Y'know, Helix, it ain't smart to offer drinks to every stranger you meet. People tend to get the wrong idea." He pushed the glass away, watching the amber liquid inside slosh around.

The spiral pushed the glass back. "I'll take my chances. Drink."

It scooted back to Helix. "No. Maybe. What is it, some kinda drug?"

"By the Elev- no, it isn't! Maybe! It could be!" He threw his claws up in frustration. "I don't _know!_ " Oh, it's an easy job, said the strange dragon distributing gold on the side of the road. I am very trustworthy. Definitely someone you should be agreeing with at two in the goddamn morning. 

"Hey, hey, buddy, relax." He gestured the barkeep over, and a second drink appeared between them. "Siddown. Have a drink. Let's talk it out like reasonable adults."

Helix collapsed onto the barstool, his lower end gradually looping around it, while his front end sulked miserably on the bar. A comparatively short arm reached for a glass. "I'm sorry, I'm just...very tired lately." He took few sips and thought for a second. "Do you know a fellow by the name of V-" He stopped suddenly, a vague part of him whispering that maybe admitting to attempted kidnapping wasn't a smart idea. Especially not to the person you were supposed to kidnap.

Kelvin squinted at nothing in particular. "Viv?"

"...nothing." An awkward pause. "Never mind." He decided to give the rest of his drink a new home, far, far away from his mouth. More awkward silence, as the mirror in front of him sipped on his own drink, casting a scrutinizing eye over the immaculately dressed scientist.

"Are you alright, mate? Look a bit queasy there." 

Indeed, Helix was now shivering slightly and rocking on his chair, his glance darting quickly all around the room. "Yes, I'm alright."

The mirror raised a brow. He didn't know squat about this stranger, but this was vastly out of character compared to the nervous gentleman he'd met three minutes before. "What were you saying earlier? About a...a fellow, I may know?"

"Oh, I was curious if you know Vilian, the one who hired me." Shock overcame his features as the words tumbled out, almost of their own accord, and fear quickly overtook that as he realized what a grave mistake he'd made. 

Kelvin, meanwhile, felt the final puzzle piece click. He didn't know this man, or his employer, or their intentions, but he knew exactly what the effects of skink concentrate did to a person and how to recover fastest from it. "You know what?" he asked, getting up quietly from his seat and swinging an arm over the spiral's trembling shoulder. "Let's take a walk. Get some fresh air."

Helix nodded mutely, eyes wide, putting forth as much effort as he could into not thinking about all the embarassing things he didn't want to share.

W̵H̛Y̴

"...what was that?"

"What was what?" The mirror began to guide his new companion to the exit. "Now, tell me more about this person you work for..."

\-----

W̢̨Ḩ̴̴A͡T ̨̕S̕E̸͢E͟͠ Y͜O̵̴U̵̴

_death_

W͝H͘AT̴͘ ̵̨Ş̵̶EE͏ ͡Y̴͜͞OU

_wasteland. a family, grieving, their child crushed by a passing guardian too blinded by their search to look around. an individual, their mate and egg lost years ago, cultivating the tree they were supposed to meet under. bones. a couple, of which only half will die. a virus aimed only at the very young._

...

_**a charge.**_


End file.
